Chapter 140
Mu Zhou passed the imperial examination and became a scholar. A year ago, he married Wen Zhaoran in a grand ceremony.
Master Cheng of Qingwu Academy sent a letter to Lingqiu Academy in the prefectural city, recommending Muzhou to study in the prefectural city.
Lingqiu Academy is located on Qingqiu Mountain. The students who study at the academy are all scholars who pass the imperial examinations. Since last year, when a top scholar was born there, the academy has become even more famous.
Having studied for so long, Mu Zhou naturally wanted to achieve success and fame, and didn't want to lose this hard-won opportunity.
Unfortunately, the Mu family's youngest son was still very young, and Zhou Ling was pregnant, so the family really couldn't be left alone.
Wen Zhaoran and Mu Zhou, the newlyweds, were deeply in love and inseparable.
With a wave of her hand, Wen Zhaoran bought a small house in Qingju Lane at the foot of Lingqiu Academy Mountain and took the entire Mu family to the prefectural city.
Having not seen him for over a year, Mu Jin truly missed him terribly.
However, all good things must come to an end. Wen Zhaoran has grown up, and no matter how reluctant Mu Jin is, she cannot force him to stay by her side.
"I wonder how Zhaoran is doing in the prefectural city. Alas, once Brother Muzhou passes the imperial examination, I'm afraid I'll never see him again."
Bai Qiqiu picked up Xiaomugua from the walker and walked with Mujin towards the pepper garden.
"The letter said he would come back during the Mid-Autumn Festival this year, and we will be able to see him in a little over a month."
The pepper garden is filled with the unique aroma of peppercorns, and it seems that there are many more peppercorns this year than last year.
In recent years, the family has saved up a lot of money. The pepper garden started bearing fruit two years ago. The year before last, they harvested about 200 catties, and last year they harvested about 350 catties. They sold it to the Zhao family at six qian of silver per catty.
The pepper garden alone earned more than 330 taels of silver in two years.
Over the years, Zhou Lin's carpentry skills have become increasingly refined, and the furniture he makes can fetch higher prices. His monthly salary has risen to five taels of silver.
There was also the money earned from exchanging poultry, livestock, vegetables, and eggs, plus the income from the dyeing workshop.
Now, he has accumulated fifty-two taels of gold and ninety taels of silver in the secret compartment, and twenty taels and seven mace of silver in the household items hidden in the bookshelf.
After careful calculation, the family can now be considered one of the wealthiest households in the village.
"Why are you here?"
Zhou Lin took a sip of the tea in the bamboo cup and gently wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Your son misses you."
As Mu Jin spoke, she took out a handkerchief from her bosom and gently wiped the sweat that had trickled down his eyes.
Zhou Lin laughed and took the little papaya from Bai Qiqiu's arms. "You little rascal, you've gained quite a bit of weight again."
In recent years, Zhou Lin is no longer the dull-witted man he once was. He has a skill and money at home, which has given him a lot of confidence.
Major family matters, such as selling Sichuan peppercorns, were all arranged perfectly, requiring Mu Jin to worry about nothing at all.
"Daddy~"
Little Papaya called out to Zhou Lin in a soft voice, which melted the heart of this rough man.
Mu Jin smiled gently and said softly, "Mu Gua, don't keep your father from doing his work. Come here, let your father hold you, okay?"
Little Papaya stretched out her little arms and hugged Zhou Lin tightly, unwilling to let go. For some reason, the little guy had always liked to stick to Zhou Lin since she was little.
"Today's work is almost finished; the rest can be handed over to the day laborers we hired."
As Zhou Lin spoke, he carried the little papaya to a prickly ash tree and went to teach him to identify the prickly ash.
Mu Jin smiled and said, "I went with the father and son."
"Master."
Lin Huzi carried a basket of freshly picked Sichuan peppercorns past Mu Jin.
"Tiger, it's been a few days since I last saw you. You've grown even stronger. How is Brother Li doing?"
Compared to five years ago, Lin Huzi has grown from a boy into a strong man. His family has built several new mud-brick houses. Two years ago, with the help of Mu Genfa, the current village chief of Mujia Village, he got back the land that was supposed to be his from his uncle.
Uncle Lin didn't dare refuse, not to mention that Lin Huzi had been doing heavy work every day for years and was now very muscular, making him a child that Uncle Lin couldn't bully.
Lin Huzi is working for Zhou Lin again, and his monthly salary has increased to six qian of silver. Lin's eldest uncle is even thinking of getting along well with Lin Huzi so that he can help him get his eldest grandson to work in Zhou's pepper garden.
However, Lin Huzi was not one to forget what he had been taught. He would never forget how his uncle had treated him and Lin Nuo.
He threw the meat, wine, and eggs that his uncle's son had sent as an apology out the door.
Disregarding any kinship ties, Uncle Lin's plan has completely failed.
Lin Huzi owned a house and land, and when Wang Li was eighteen years old, he married him.
During the two or three years that Wang Li lived with Mu Jin, Mu Jin taught him many skills for daily life.
Now Wang Li can make some simple food, raise chickens, knows about chickens and eggs, can exchange the vegetables he grows for money, and tidies up the house. He's quite a decent person.
With Lin Nuo, who was in her teens, helping out, Lin Huzi always had a hot meal waiting for him when he got home, and he didn't have to worry about most of the household matters.
"Everything is fine. I was just saying yesterday that I missed you, boss."
Mu Jin smiled and said, "Then let Li Ge'er come to visit more often. Has his father come to make trouble again?"
Mu Jin still remembered that the old couple from the Wang family must have heard from some familiar villagers in Mujia Village that their unwanted mentally challenged son could earn more than one tael of silver a month.
Every now and then, they would come and make a scene, wanting to take Li Ge'er back home.
Mu Jin used the indenture they had previously signed for Wang Li to shut them down. Perhaps Wang Li was still afraid of being beaten by the old couple in the Wang family, so he shrank back into the house and didn't come out.
Without the Wang family elders' tearful pleading and arguing with Wang Li, it made it easier for Mu Jin and Zhou Lin to kick them out.
Wang Li was afraid of being taken home by the Wang family elders. Although he was not mentally complete, he could clearly distinguish between good and bad.
Since then, Wang Li didn't dare to go out for two or three months.
When the elderly Wang couple came to the village, they couldn't catch Wang Li or even see their mentally challenged son. They finally had some peace and quiet for a while.
After Wang Li and Lin Huzi got married, they learned that Wang Li's indenture had been cancelled by the county government and he had been restored to his free status.
He arrived at Lin Huzi's house, putting on airs like a father-in-law.
Lin Huzi knew that the Wang family elders treated Wang Li badly, so he didn't tolerate them. He picked up a broom and swept them out the door.
Although Qi Chao valued filial piety, his son-in-law disrespected his wife's family. Apart from being criticized by others, the government did not care about the matter at all.
The elderly Wang couple were both angry and helpless. They couldn't get into the Lin family's house, but they managed to catch Wang Li once in Mujia Village.
Unexpectedly, Wang Li, with his sharp eyes, spotted them and abandoned the wild vegetables he had just dug, turning and running away faster than a rabbit.
Not to mention that their old arms and legs couldn't catch up, even if Wang's son came, he wouldn't be able to touch a single hem of Wang Li's clothes.
In those days, the villagers of Mujia Village relied on the Wang family couple for amusement.
Lin Huzi gently put down the basket of peppercorns. "They came so often last month that I got annoyed. Every time they came, I would beat their son. Now they dare not come anymore."
Mu Jin smiled and said, "That's one way to do it."
As the two were talking, they heard Mu Bai's cheerful voice coming from the entrance of the pepper garden, "Big brother, I knew you were here."
"Wait a minute, you're pregnant."
Mu Jin scolded him, pulled him to her side, and looked at him closely.
I hadn't seen him for a month or two. Mu Bai had gained a little weight and was carrying Liu's four-month-old grandson, who wasn't very noticeable yet. He looked quite well.
It's obvious that the Liu family has been taking good care of them.
"Big brother."
Liu Chengye followed behind Mu Bai and called out to him. Compared to five years ago, he was less impulsive. Perhaps it was because he was about to become a father; he seemed much more composed.
Mu Bai and Liu Chengye are a pair of bickering lovers. Mu Bai may complain about them, but their relationship is actually very good.
Since Mu Zhou passed the imperial examination and became a scholar, Manager Liu was extremely pleased with the marriage and quickly welcomed Mu Bai into the Liu family home in a grand sedan chair carried by eight bearers.
Before the wooden boat went to the prefectural city, it also sent a lot of silver and congratulatory gifts.
Mu Jin nodded to Liu Chengye, then turned and called out to Bai Qiqiu and Zhou Lin, who were looking at the pepper tree.
"A-Lin, Qi-Qiu, Bai-er and Cheng-Ye have arrived."
He then turned to Liu Chengye and said, "You must be exhausted from the journey. Come on, let's go home and rest, have some tea, and eat something."
Zhou Lin carried the little papaya over, gave Lin Huzi a few instructions, and then went home with Mu Jin and the others.
With relatives visiting, Zhou Yaoyao's confinement was lifted.
She ran downstairs excitedly, grabbed Mu Bai's arm, and started to act coquettishly.
"Second Uncle, why did it take you so long? Peach missed you so much."
Mu Bai's heart melted at Zhou Yaoyao's soft, slightly childlike voice.
"Your second uncle also wanted peaches, so I brought you some snacks, and your favorite piece of peach-pink silk. Come on, let your second uncle show it to you."
"I love my second uncle the most!"
Zhou Yaoyao took a bite out of Mu Bai's fair and tender face.
Liu Chengye, watching from the side, felt his forehead throb.
Mu Jin sighed, realizing that among all those who doted on Zhou Yaoyao, she had forgotten about Mu Bai.
"He's still young. What's the point of giving him so many things? He has everything at home."
Mu Jin watched as the Liu family's servants took things out of the carriage one box at a time, and gave Mu Bai a reproachful look.
"They're all our own stuff, they're not worth much."
Mu Bai's comings and goings around the village caused quite a stir. Aunt Qian, the most gossipy woman in the village, went to take a look and then went to the Zhou family.
"Oh my, you didn't see that. Tsk tsk, those boxes of stuff, just by looking at them, you can tell they're not cheap. I could tell from the box that they weren't cheap either."
Aunt Mu, who came with Aunt Qian, curled her lip and said, "What's the use of being good? Our Sister Wu can't benefit from it at all."
These words, seemingly meant to defend Zhou Wu Shi, were no different from stabbing her in the heart.
"It still comes down to your brother's ability. Zhou is capable; he passed the imperial examination and became a scholar. Now he's going to study in the prefectural city, taking his whole family with him. And look at Bai, she married into the town and has never lifted a finger since. I can't help but envy her."
“Although Renjin’er lives in the village, he’s doing just fine. You see, besides taking care of the children and washing clothes, he has hired farmhands at home. There’s nothing he needs to do.”
"The sons of the Renmu family are all blessed."
Zhou Wushi had been looking dejected ever since they arrived, and upon hearing this, she couldn't bear to listen any longer.
“My youngest son passed the imperial examination and is now teaching at the village school. He’s not tired at all, which is much more comfortable than my unfilial eldest son.”
"That's right, that's right."
The two aunties verbally agreed, but what they were really thinking remains unknown.
"Mother, you were looking for me?"
Mu Qing led two young boys over, supporting her large pregnant belly, which looked to be about eight or nine months along.
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